BSD
Shkolim 17a
7 Teves, 5785 – 1/07/2025

1- We reviewed some points of last week regarding the 13 locations where one would make a השתחווה inside the עזרה and the connection to the חשמונאים.

2- The next section in the גמרא is very cryptic, esoteric and mysterious. We’re still searching for an explanation as to its meaning. A similar version appears also in the בבלי יומא.

Basically, 3 נביאים prophesied about a phenomenon that will occur in the future.

In short: From inside the קודש הקדשים, a thin stream of water will begin to flow. It will exit the היכל, into the עזרה, pass the מזבח and continue its way out thru the שער המים. (Gate #4 on the south side as mentioned in our Mishna).

From there it will flow North to a sea called Sumcho, then turn South into the כנרת, flow from there to the ים המלח and from there to the ‘ocean’.

[Every once in a while rumors swirl about a stream of water seen coming out of the הר הבית.
נזכה ונחי’ ונראה]

3 – Our גמרא, without explaining the meaning of this stream and its route, discusses various aspects of this stream.

First, that it is an ever widening stream. Starting as a thin sliver of water and expanding until, once in the ocean, it becomes a wide and turbulent river. So mighty is this river, that at that point large boats will be unable to navigate across it.

Secondly, the גמרא discusses the depth of this stream/river.

Finally, the גמרא discusses the water itself. At its source it’s considered water from a מעין.

The difference להלכה pertains to the various טומאות, some of which require a מעין. A מעין is כשר even while flowing.

However, along the circuitous route of this miraculous river, other sources, such as rain water, are mixed into this stream. It’s is still Kosher for טבילה but may need to be in a מקוה.

4 – Here we encounter a fascinating גמרא.

We prefaced 2 points about the Mediterranean Sea.
ארץ ישראל is on the most Eastern section of the Mediterranean.

A – The Barbary Coast. The coastal regions of central and western North Africa, which is on the Southern side of this sea stretching from Libya to Morocco.

The Barbary Coast (also Barbary, Berbery, or Berber Coast) was the name given to the coastal regions of central and western North Africa or more specifically the Maghreb and the Ottoman borderlands consisting of the regencies in Algiers, Tunis, and Tripoli, as well as the Sultanate of Morocco from the 16th to 19th centuries. The term originates from an exonym for the Berbers.

B – At the northern part of the Mediterranean Sea are the countries of Turkey, Greece, Italy, France Spain and Portugal.
Italy juts out like a boot into this ocean. In the Southern part of Italy is the famous region (at least for Chabad) called Calabria.

Now, the last part of the prophecy relating to this water flowing from inside the בית קודש הקדשים, states that it will reach the ‘outgoing sea’. This is referring to the Atlantic Ocean that connects to the Mediterranean at the Straits of Gibraltar.

But why is the Atlantic Ocean called the ‘outgoing (or outpouring sea)’?

The גמרא explains, as Rashi quotes it in Chumash (end of פרשת נח and פרשת האזינו), the Atlantic overflowed the land area that is now the Mediterranean Sea!

וגם אחרי כן – אף על פי שראו באובדן של דור אנוש, שעלה אוקיינוס והציף שליש העולם, לא נכנע דור המבול ללמד מהם.

In other words, during the era of אנוש and the דור הפלגה, a full one third of the human population lived on the dry area of where the Mediterranean Sea is today. This flood (‘outgoing sea’) was a punishment that wiped out ⅓ the world’s people due to their immoral behavior. See interesting discussion here.

This tsunami happened twice. Once during the times of אנוש (as Rashi writes). The second time was during the דור הפלגה (as our גמרא has it).

At the first time the flood reached the Calabria region. The second time it reached the Barbary Coast.

Here is the Rashi:

וגם אחרי כן – אף על פי שראו באובדן של דור אנוש, שעלה אוקיינוס והציף שליש העולם
בינו שנות דור ודר – דרב אנוש שהציף עליהם אוקיינוס

• Our גמרא describes the route of the river until it reaches the Atlantic and the ‘double flood’.
  [Samchu, Kineret, Dead Sea and the Atlantic]
  וַיֹּאמֶר אֵלַי הַמַּיִם הָאֵלֶּה יוֹצְאִים אֶל הַגְּלִילָה הַקַּדְמוֹנָה זֶה יַם שֶׁלְסַמְכו.
  וְיָרְדוּ עַל הָעֲרָבָה זֶה יַם שֶׁלְטִיבֵּרִיָּא.
  וּבָאוּ הַיָּמָּה זֶה יַם הַמֶּלַח.
  אֶל הַיָּמָּה הַמּוּצָאִים זֶה הַיָּם הַגָּדוֹל.
  וְלָמָּה נִקְרָא שְׁמוֹ הַמּוֹצָאִים. כְּנֶגֵד שְׁנֵי פְעָמִים שֶׁיָּצָא. אֶחָד בְּדוֹר אֱנוֹשׁ וְאֶחָד בְּדוֹר פְּלָגָה.
  רִבִּי לָעְזְר בְּשֵׁם רִבִּי חֲנִינָה. בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה יָצְא עַד קַלַבְּרִיָה וּבַשְׁנִייָה יָצָא עַד קֵפֵי בֶּרְבֶּרִיָה.

It is written: He said to me, these waters flow out to the Eastern district, this is Lake *Samchonitis, and descends to the lowlands, this is Lake Tiberias, and comes to the sea, this is the Salt Sea, the sea of outgoing water, this is the Great Sea. [Atlantic] And why is it called the sea of outgoing water? For the two times it came out, once in the generation of Enosh, and once in the generation of the Dispersal.
Rebbi Eleazar in the name of Rebbi Ḥanina: The first time it went out up to Calabria, the second time it went to the Capes of Barbary

*Later known as Lake Huleh, then drained in the 1950s, today the Hula Valley

5- The גמרא continues that Reb Eliezer says that the second time it reached ארץ ישראל!

Does that mean that prior to דור אנוש there was no Western coastline in ארץ ישראל? Landlocked?

רִבִּי לָעְזְר בְּשֵׁם רִבִּי חֲנִינָה. בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה יָצְא עַד קַלַבְּרִיָה וּבַשְׁנִייָה יָצָא עַד קֵפֵי בֶּרְבֶּרִיָה. רִבִּי אָחָא בְשֵׁם רִבִּי חֲנִינָה. בָּרִאשׁוֹנָה יָצְא עַד קֵפֵי בֶּרְבֶּרִיָה וּבַשְׁנִייָה יָצָא עַד עַכּוֹ וְעַד יָפוֹ. עַד פֹּה תָבוֹא וְלֹא תוֹסִיף. עַד עַכּוֹ תָבוֹא וְלֹא תוֹסִיף.

To be continued at the next Shiur BL”N.

6 – We discussed the issue with the 2 ברכות mentioned in the משנה in ברכות.
When one sees mountains, hills, seas, rivers, and deserts one says the ברכה:

בָּרוּךְ עוֹשֵׂה מַעֲשֵׂה בְרֵאשִׁית.

When one sees the ים הגדול the ברכה is:
בָּרוּךְ שֶׁעָשָׂה אֶת הַיָּם הַגָּדוֹל.

So we have regular ‘seas’ and the ‘big ocean’.

What is the ‘big ocean’? The Atlantic or maybe the Mediterranean as well?

See here. מגן אברהם.

Now if the Mediterranean was formed after מעשה בראשית, then the ברכה when seeing it (cannot be it בָּרוּךְ עוֹשֵׂה מַעֲשֵׂה בְרֵאשִׁית) so it must be בָּרוּךְ שֶׁעָשָׂה אֶת הַיָּם הַגָּדוֹל.

7 – We spoke about the ‘lost city of Atlantis’, a civilization that was flooded over, mentioned by the philosopher Plato.

[For a perspective of when Plato lived: 

Plato was born in 429 BC and lived until 348.

So he was born in the year 3,332 and died 3,412. 

The first בית המקדש was destroyed in year 3338 (422) and began to be rebuilt in year 3408. 

So Plato lived at the time of גלות בבל] 

In the non-Jewish world most people are skeptical about the tale of Atlantis.

Every few years we hear about a ‘find’ in the Mediterranean proving the existence of a lost civilization, but they are always Barber Maasos.

2011. Lost city of Atlantis believed found off Spain

Whether they locate it or not is irrelevant.

We live with the words of חכמינו זכרונם לברכה.

BSD
Shkolim 16b (3) – 17a
30 Kislev, 5785. 12/31/2024

1 – We concluded הלכה א of the 6th chapter.

A brief summary:

● We reviewed how the משנה and גמרא digressed from the 13 שופרות or Pushkes that were in the בית המקדש (topic of מסכת שקלים) to the 13 tables in the מקדש (as we will learn in הלכה ג) to the 13 locations were people would perform a השתחווה.

● Speaking of bowing down 13 times the משנה mentioned the בית רבן גמליאל that would bow down a 14th time when passing the לשכת העצים due their tradition that the ארון was buried there.

● Speaking of the ארון the גמרא digresses to the current location of the ארון (under the קודש הקדשים, under the לשכת העצים or in בבל). It then moved on to ‘how many ארונות there were’. (1 or 2).

● From there it moved on to the topic of why and who hid the ארון. (King יאשיהו who feared it would be captured by the Babylonians), He also hid the שמן המשחה.

● Speaking of the שמן המשחה the גמרא discusses how this anointing oil was produced. (Spices cooked in oil or first cooked in water then soaked with oil).

● From there it digressed to the anointing the כהנים and מלכים with this oil. (Who was anointed. Only מלכי בית דוד when the appointment of the king was contested. מלכי ישראל were always [and מלכי בית דוד after it was hidden] anointed with שמן אפרסמון.

● It moved along to the measurements of the ארון (Is an אמה 5 or 6 טפחים?)

● From there to the big topic of what exactly was placed inside the ארון. (Second לוחות only or also the broken pieces of the first set as well).

● Discussed the shape of the לוחות. Our ירושלמי (rectangular לוחות) vs the בבלי (square לוחות).

● It then moved on to the construction of the ארון. (Three boxes or just one wooden one plated with gold). Discussed the need for the height of the ארון to be taller than the actual height of the לוחות. (Radvaz)

● Speaking of the לוחות it digressed to discussing how the עשרת הדברות were written on the two tablets. (10, 20 or 40 times). The topic of the letters engraved ‘thru and thru’. (Forward or in reverse).

● Finally, to the ספר תורה that was inside the קודש הקדשים . (inside the ארון or outside on a box or shelf).

● Discussed if this ספר תורה was ever removed from the ארון or קודש הקדשים .  (Rashi vs Tosfos).

There were many more topics…the above summary is just an overview of the major points of discussion.

2- We began הלכה ב where the משנה discusses the 13 locations of the 13 השתחוייות. The משנה stated that these 13 locations correspond to the 13 שערים that the בית המקדש had.
The גמרא however, says that there are some who say the בית המקדש only had 7 gates.

So where are these 13 locations?

We mentioned that the story of חנוכה is mentioned very rarely on the משנה. In the past, in the name of the חתם סופר, we spoke about רבינו הקדוש the compiler of the משניות who was displeased with the חשמונאים (not being descendants from שבט יהודה) declaring themselves kings. He therefore didn’t create a מסכת חנוכה.

In the גמרא too, besides in מסכת שבת, the חשמונאים are not mentioned many times.

בהשגחה פרטית , learning this on חנוכה, our גמרא states:
עַל דָּעְתּוֹן דְּרָבָּנִן אֵיכָן הָיוּ הַהִשְׁתַּחֲוִיּוֹת הַלָלוּ. כַּהִיא דְתַנִּינָן תַּמָּן. וּשְׁלשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה פְרָצוֹת הָיוּ בוֹ שֶׁפְּרָצוּם מַלְכֵי יָווָן. חָזְרוּ וּגְדָרוּם בני חשמונאי וְגָזְרוּ כְּנֶגְדָּן שְׁלשׁ עֶשְׂרֵה הִשְׁתַּחֲוָיוֹת.
In the Rabbis’ opinion, that only 7 gates existed, where were the thirteen prostrations?

As we have stated there: “There were thirteen breaches, where the Greek kings breached it; the חשמונאים came back and closed them and established correspondingly thirteen prostrations.”

See also מדות ב, ג. See a reconciliation of the two opinions (7 or 13 gates) in Tosfos Kesubos 106a – שבעה כנגד ז׳ שערים

3- These 13 breaches or breaks were not in the walls of the בית המקדש itself.

Surrounding the walls of the בית המקדש there was a 2′-4’ high stone or wood wall that designated the area beyond which no טמא מת or a אינו יהודי would be be allowed to enter.

Warning signs in Greek and Latin were posted on this wall advising as such.

Interestingly, 2 such signs survived until today.

“No foreigner may enter within the balustrade around the sanctuary and the enclosure. Whoever is caught, on himself shall he put blame for the death which will ensue.”

See here:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Temple_Warning_inscription

https://www.timesofisrael.com/ancient-temple-mount-warning-stone-is-closest-thing-we-have-to-the-temple/#:~:text=Written%20in%20Greek%20(no%20Latin,the%20death%20which%20will%20ensue.%E2%80%9D

https://avande1.sites.luc.edu/jerusalem/sources/temple-warning.htm

In Hebrew: Here. Here.

It was in this parapet wall that the Greeks blasted 13 openings to show their displeasure as to their exclusion. When the חשמונאים defeated the Greeks and repaired the break they commemorated this event by establishing 13 points in the בית המקדש where one would prostate himself.

To be continued.

4- The story of the roaming מגיד that had only one דרשה on פרשת קורח…..Tabak Pushkah…

When was משה רבינו told to build the ארון?

3 opinions:

The command to collect funds and material for the Mishkan.

1- They were told and actually donated right after מתן תורה. Before חטא העגל. Zohar.

2- Both after יום כיפור. Tanchuma.

3 – משה רבינו was told before חטא העגל but he only told them afterwards.

See here:    לקוטי שיחות – ו (שמות)

https://beta.hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=14929&st=&pgnum=164

וזה לשון הראב״ד ז״ל לוחות ושברי לוחות מונחות בארון זו למעלה מזו השבורות למטה מן השלמות. זהו לפי הגמרא שלנו דקתני הלוחות ארכן ששה ורחבן ששה אבל לפי הגירסא דגרסינן בשקלים בירושלמי הלוחות ארכן ששה ורחבן שלשה יכולות הן לעמוד זו בצד זו בארון וכמה היא נכונה בעיני זאת הגירסא שלא היו יכולות לעמוד זו על גבי זו אלא שיש דמות ראיה לגירסא שלנו שהרי צוה המקום למשה לעשות לו ארון רחב אמה וחצי קודם שנשתברו הלוחות ולשום שם הלוחות ואם לא היו רחבות אלא שלשה טפחים כל זה הרוחב למה גם מפני זה הטעם אמרו ארכן ששה מפני שראו ארכו של ארון אמתים וחצי ואם לא היו ארוכות כל כך למה צוה לעשותו אורך כל זה.

BSD
Shkolim 16b (2)
16 Kislev, 5785. 12/18/2024

1 – Continued the topic of the לוחות וספר תורה that were inside (or outside) the ארון in the קודש הקדשים.

2 – The גמרא explains the construction of the ארון. Either it was made of 3 boxes (as Rashi says in חומש) or just one box plated with gold.

3- Next topic of the גמרא is the עשרת הדברות that were engraved on the לוחות.

The simple and accepted way we see around us are simply 5 on one tablet and 5 on the other.

However the גמרא brings a 4 way מחלוקת as to how many times the עשרת הדברת were actually engraved on the לוחות.

כֵּיצד הָיוּ הַלּוּחוֹת כְּתוּבִים.
רִבִּי חֲנַנְיָה בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל אוֹמֵר. חֲמִשָּׁה עַל לוּחַ זֶה וַחֲמִשָּׁה עַל לוּחַ זֶה….
וְרַבָּנִן אָמְרִין. עֲשָׂרָה עַל לוּחַ זֶה וַעֲשָׂרָה עַל לוּחַ זֶה….
רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַי אָמַר. עֶשְׂרִים עַל לוּחַ זֶה וְעֶשְׂרִים עַל לוּחַ זֶה…..
רִבִּי סִימַאי אָמַר. אַרְבָּעִים עַל לוּחַ זֶה וְאַרְבָּעִים עַל לוּחַ זֶה….. טֶטְרַגוֹנָה.

How were the לוחות written?
Rebbi Ḥanania ben Gamliel says, five on one tablet each…. (Total of 10)
The Rabbis say, ten on each tablet….(Total of 20)
Rebbi Simeon ben Yocḥai said, twenty on each tablet…..(Total of 40)
Rebbi Simai says, forty on each tablet, a square.(Total of 80)

On the surface the numbers of 10 and 20 seem simple enough. 5 on each, for a total of 10, or the full 10 on each, for a total of 20. (We discussed the suggested answers as to the purpose of this ‘copy paste’ onto the 2nd tablet).

However, what does the ‘20 on each tablet’ mean? Or ‘40 on each tablet mean’?

We discussed various explanations. Some are a bit complicated. Here is one:

4 – The רדב”ז suggests that to understand the above 4 opinions we need to take into account a few of the ניסים pertaining to the לוחות.
See here.

#1 -The writing on the לוחות went thru the לוחות. Meaning that they were engraved from the front to back. מִזֶּה וּמִזֶּה הֵם כְּתוּבִים on each side they were written.
As the גמרא says in שבת קד, א that this unique engraving caused the letters ם and ס to be floating.

#2 – What did the writing that appeared on the reverse side look like? Was it read from right to left? For example: אנכי? Or left to right – meaning backwards? For example: יכנא?

The above גמרא says that it was backwards!
וְאָמַר רַב חִסְדָּא כְּתָב שֶׁבַּלּוּחוֹת נִקְרָא מִבִּפְנִים וְנִקְרָא מִבַּחוּץ כְּגוֹן: נְבוּב בובן (רַהַב בָּהָר) סָרוּ ורס.

Rav Ḥisda said: The writing on the tablets was read from the inside, from one side of the tablets, and read from the outside, the other side of the tablets, in reverse order. The Gemara cites words that appear elsewhere in the Bible: Nevuv was read as bet, vav, bet, nun; rahav as beit, heh, reish; and saru as vav, reish, samekh.

[This cryptic גמרא will be discussed BL”N at the next shiur].

So even according to the opinion that only 5 were engraved on each of the לוחות (for a total of 10) it means that it was read on both sides, (albeit backwards) for a total of 20 times.

We discussed how, based on these two above points, the רדב”ז explains the 4 way מחלוקת.

The opinion of רִבִּי חֲנַנְיָה בֶּן גַּמְלִיאֵל is that each side had only 5.
The רַבָּנִן say that each side had the full 10.
According to both, the back side of the לוחות also had the עשרת הדברות, but in reverse order.

[In a sense – every side, front and back, ‘faced forward’. That is perhaps the meaning of what the Alter Rebbe writes in Tanya, quoting our גמרא,
שמשם נמשכו הלוחות שבארון כמ”ש כתובים משני עבריהם כו’ וכמ”ש בירושלמי דשקלים שלא היתה בהן בחי’ פנים ואחור ע”ש:]

רִבִּי שִׁמְעוֹן בֶּן יוֹחַי adds (to the opinion of the רבנן) that there was another miracle here. Despite the engraved letters on the back of the לוחות being reversed, when reading them they were seen going in the right direction!

So the 10 are actually 20, since they are easily readable from both sides.

רִבִּי סִימַאי  opinion is that עשרת הדברות were readable from all four sides. The רדב”ז explains: Imagine the לוחות standing upright in the middle of the room with all four sides visible and readable. Thus the number 40.

5- We briefly discussed the famous מחלוקת of the ראשונים regarding מזוזות and ספרי תורה if to place them horizontally or vertically.
In short- The גמרא says that one should not affix a מזוזה like a ‘nail’ (or peg, pin, bolt etc) – נגר.

The question in what direction is a regular nail driven into a wall? If vertically, then a מזוזה must be affixed horizontally and vice versa.

רש”י the רמב”ם and many other say that a מזוזה must be affixed upright – vertically.

רבינו תם however says that it’s not דרך כבוד to have them upright.
מנחות לג, א. Here.

To use his expression – ‘we find that ‘upright’ is used when burying mules’!

Another point says רבינו תם, quoting our גמרא, is that we find the לוחות in the ארון were placed horizontally although they would easily have fit if placed upright. The reason they were placed flat is because that is the honorable position for them.

להלכה we place מזוזות at an angle but we place the ספרי תורה in an upright position.

6- Yossi Cohen suggested a fascinating story of a burial ‘face down’.

https://www.beinharimtours.com/tomb-of-rabbi-meir-baal-hanes/#:~:text=Rabbi%20Meir%20passed%20away%20on,standing%E2%80%9D%20in%20reference%20to%20prayer.

Rabbi Meir passed away on the 14th of the Hebrew month of Iyar while in exile outside of the Holy Land His remains were brought to Tiberias and entombed close to his teacher Rabbi Akiva. The Rabbi requested that his body be buried in a standing position as the Torah uses the word “standing” in reference to prayer.

Another version of this legend says that the Rabbi wanted to be buried standing up so that when the Messiah came he could walk straight out to greet him. Before his passing, the Rabbi said that his legacy to generations to come would be that he would intercede in heaven on any person’s behalf if the person is willing to give charity to the poor of Israel in his memory.

face down, not standing up

https://ohr.edu/ask_db/ask_main.php/242/Q4/

This reminds me of a story, that I find frightening, one which illustrates the frightening evil to which a human can sink and, at the same time, the wisdom of our Sages: Not far from Luban, Russia, there lived a Jew who was a traitor to his people; he spent his life harassing the Jewish community by slandering them to the Russian authorities at every opportunity. At the end of his life, as he lay on his death bed, he summoned the Jewish burial society. “Bury me face down,” he said. Then he died.

His most odd request was brought to the great Rabbi Moshe Feinstein. Rabbi Feinstein ruled that, despite the requirement to fulfill a dead person’s final wishes, he must nevertheless be buried face-up in accordance with Jewish Law.

A few days after the funeral, the Russian authorities rode into town and summoned the Jewish burial society demanding that the recently buried body be dug up. Mystified, the Jews went out to the cemetery and began digging under the watchful eye of the Russians. When the body was unearthed and became visible, the Russians said, “Enough. Bury him again.” Now the Jews couldn’t contain themselves: “Please explain why you wanted to dig him up?” they asked.

“This man,” the Russians explained, “was our friend. He was forever loyal to us. He told us that the Jews hate him so much for being our friend that they are going to bury him face down!”

BSD
Shkolim 16b
9 Kislev, 5785. 12/10/2024

Short notes on many topics.

Square or rectangular לוחות?

1 – We are deep into the calculations of what was in the ארון and how exactly they fit inside.

The basis are the opinions of רבי מאיר ורבי יהודה as to how many טפחים an אמה is when measuring the כלים.

See here a link to the charts based on our גמרא ירושלמי and the בבלי version.

The major difference between the two versions בבלי וירושלמי is whether each of the 2 לוחות were square (6×6) בבלי , or rectangular (6×3) ירושלמי.

2 – We mentioned the Tosfos מנחות צט, א that suggest that perhaps all agree that they were rectangular (6×3). When the בבלי says 6×6 they were referring to the total of the 4 לוחות
2 of the broken לוחות and 2 of the complete לוחות.

The ספר תורה that was inside the קודש הקדשים

3 – As we saw so far, רבי מאיר says that the ספר תורה was also placed inside the ארון. (See above chart). Next Shiur we will discuss רבי יהודה who says that it was placed outside the ארון.

Our גמרא discusses that according to Reb Meir, the ‘extra 2 טפחים inside the ארון was to allow for easy removal of the ספר תורה’.

What ספר תורה was this?

Rashi (BB 14b) seems to say that it was the one the משה רבינו wrote.

The occasional removal of this ספר תורה from the קודש הקדשים

4- Tosfos has a general issue with the idea that this ספר תורה (that was in the קודש הקדשים) was was ever removed and/or was used on יום כיפור for the כהן גדול to read.

Their question is simple: How can one remove it if entering the קודש הקדשים is prohibited? And on יום כיפור, where do we find in the (very detailed) עבודת יום הכיפורים a ‘removal and return’ of a ספר תורה?

[Also mentioned the weight of the cover כפורת and the כרובים that were over the ארון made of pure gold. How did the כהן גדול, who was alone, lift it?]

One answer of Tofsos is that they would indeed remove the ס”ת  occasionally to ‘air out’ and/or to repair it. Just as we find that workers would enter the קודש הקדשים to repair the room.

We mentioned the interesting process of how these workers were lowered from the attic above the קודש הקדשים in ‘closed boxes with holes’ to limit what they can see in this holy place – Mishnah, Middos 4:5.

מְשַׁלְשְׁלִים אֶת הָאֻמָּנִים. מוֹרִידִין אוֹתָם בְּחֶבֶל בְּתוֹךְ הַתֵּבוֹת, כְּדֵי שֶׁלֹּא יֵהָנוּ בִּרְאִיַּת בֵּית קֹדֶשׁ הַקֳּדָשִׁים, אֶלָּא מְתַקְּנִין מַה שֶּׁצָּרִיךְ בִּלְבַד וְעוֹלִין:

Empty space inside the ארון?

5 – 5 – An interesting question:
Our גמרא deals with the measurements of the ארון. Since the instruction was to build the ארון in a particular size, its full measurements (Length x Width x Height) must be for a purpose. No empty space inside the ארון existed.
So obviously, first and foremost, it had to accommodate all the 4 לוחות inside. Either side by side or the second לוחות on top of the שברי לוחות. As to the ספר תורה see above #3.

Additionally, the בבלי says that the ‘silver poles’ made by שלמה המלך were also inside the ארון.

Now let’s analyze the height of the ארון. It was either 9 טפחים tall – רבי מאיר or 7.5 טפחים tall – רבי יהודה

See here a side view according to רבי מאיר.

Based on the above it seems that there was plenty empty space over the לוחות!!!

This question was raised by the רדב”ז. Vol 3, 530.

His novel answer: It was empty indeed and the ארון could have been, in principle, shorter/lower.

However, as we learnt in Sukka 5a, the שכינה ‘never descended to our world lower than 10 טפחים’.

This rule is derived from the ארון and its cover, the ,כפורת , was 10 טפחים high in total. The שכינה hovered above the ארון as it says: וְנוֹעַדְתִּי לְךָ שָׁם וְדִבַּרְתִּי אִתְּךָ מֵעַל הַכַּפּוֹרֶת
שמות כ״ה, כ״ב.

Therefore, says the Radvaz, the ארון needed to be a certain height even if this created empty space inside.

Reading the לוחות on יום כיפור?

6- We discussed the מהרש”א (BB 14a) that seem to say that when the כהן גדול would enter the קודש הקדשים on יום כפור he would read the words on the לוחות !!!

בגמרא נשתיירו שם ב׳ טפחים שלא יהא ס״ת נכנס כו׳. יש מקשין ל״ל הנך ב׳ טפחים באורך הארון לס״ת דהא בהנך ב׳ טפחים שנשתיירו ברוחב היתה מונח שפיר הס״ת והיה יוצא ונכנס שם שלא בדוחק וי״ל שהארון לאורכו היה מונח מצפון לדרום אצל כותל מערבי והיה מונחין הלוחות ארכן לרוחב הארון זה אצל זה מצפון לדרום דהיינו ראשו אנכי למערב וסופו אשר לרעך למזרח שיהו נקראין כן לכ״ג הבא לשם ביה״כ ולכך בדרך הזה נמי היתה מונח הס״ת שם ראשה למערב וסופה למזרח באותן ב׳ טפחים שנשתיירו באורך הארון שתהיה נקראת כך לכ״ג הבא לשם כדרך שאמרו לגבי המזוזה:

What was the date of the commandment to build the ארון?

7 – Another topic discussed:
If the instruction to build the ארון was by מתן תורה, then why would the instruction to build a large ארון , that would accommodate also the שברי לוחות, be said before they were broken by משה רבינו?

More next week.

Reb Moshe Rubin ע”ה

8 – Speaking of how everything fit symmetrically inside the ארון, we spoke about the unforgettable Chosid Reb Moshe Rubin ע”ה and his יראת שמים.   Here. Here.

His quip as to why he cannot tolerate when asking someone ‘how are you?’ to hear a response  “I’m all right’……

R Yisroel Rubin dedicating “Tefila L’Moshe Roadway Service” in memory of his father, R’ Moshe Rubin.

BSD
Shkolim 16a (3)
Kislev 2, 5785 – 12/03/2024

Short notes.

1- Last week we mentioned the ancient custom practiced in Eastern Europe to perform a pre Chupa ceremony early in the morning on the wedding date.

This ceremony was called חופת מיין. Main for the river that flows by Frankfurt where this מנהג was practiced for hundreds of years.  

Basically, the חתן would be accompanied to the שול yard (or on the בימה) by the Rov before שחרית and the כלה by her family. They would both sit on an elaborately decorated chair and ברכת ארוסין would made. Some said all שבע ברכות.

In the afternoon or evening, another חופה would be performed with all the ברכות again.

This מנהג is mentioned in מסכת סופרים and the ראשונים with variations of different קהילות.
See  תוספות כתובות יז, א

See here in Hebrew.

Excerpt from link above, free translation: Following the destruction of German communities and the emigration of the majority of German Jews to the United States and Israel, most German Jews stopped performing חופת מיין (as well as other customs). However, a few in the German community continue even today to perform the ceremony of the חופת מיין, and even make it a condition for marriage with their children.

The מרדכי writes that this מנהג explain why we say
בָּרוּךְ אַתָּה ה’ מְקַדֵּשׁ עַמּוֹ יִשְׂרָאֵל  עַל יְדֵי חֻפָּה וְקִדּוּשִׁין.

Why חופה and then קידושין?

The order is in reverse of what we do! First there is the קידושין (with the ring) and then the ‘marriage’ via the חופה.

Says the מרדכי , based on this ancient מנהג, the order is indeed חֻפָּה וְקִדּוּשִׁין. First comes the early morning חופה and then קידושין a few hours later.

We mentioned the חתם סופר AH 98 that suggests that we keep this מנהג and do both – morning חופה דמאיין indoors and then a standard חופה  under the stars.

After WWII this custom of Chupa DeMain was stopped.

2- We concluded discussing the 3 sons of יאשיהו and his grandson יהויכין or יְכָנְיָה.

3 – Our גמרא:

אֵין מוֹשְׁחִין כֹּהֲנִים מְלָכִים. אָמַר רִבִּי יוּדָן עַנְתּוֹנְדְרַייָא. עַל שֵׁם לֹא יָסוּר שֵׁבֶט מִיהוּדָה. אָמַר רִבִּי חִייָה בַּר אָדָא. לְמַעַן יַאֲרִיךְ יָמִים עַל מַמְלַכְתּוֹ הוּא וּבָנָיו בְּקֶרֶב יִשְׂרָאֵל. מַה כְתִיב בַּתְרֵיהּ. לֹא יִהְיֶה לַכֹּהֲנִים הַלְוִיִּם.

One does not anoint כהנים as kings. Rebbi Jehudah Antordiya said, because the scepter shall not be removed from Jehudah. Rebbi Ḥiyya bar Ada said, because of  he shall have many days of his kingdom, he and his sons in the midst of Israel. What is written after that? The levitic Cohanim should not…

Discussed briefly the rule that כהנים or anyone else that is not from שבט יהודה should not be anointed as a מלך.

As the Ramban writes בראשית מט, י regarding the חשמונאים that ruled as kings despite them being כהנים:

וזה היה עונש החשמונים שמלכו בבית שני, כי היו חסידי עליון, ואלמלא הם נשתכחו תורה ומצות מישראל, ואף על פי כן נענשו עונש גדול, כי ארבעת בני חשמונאי הזקן החסיד המולכים זה אחר זה, עם כל גבורתם והצלחתם, נפלו ביד אויביהם בחרב, והגיע העונש בסוף למה שאמרו ז״ל: כל דאמר מבית חשמונאי קא אתינא עבדא הוא (בבלי בבא בתרא ג׳.), שנכרתו כולם בעון הזה. ואף על פי שהיה בזרע שמעון עונש מן הצדוקים, אבל כל זרע מתתיה חשמונאי הצדיק לא אבדו אלא בעבור זה שמלכו ולא היו מזרע יהודה ומבית דוד, [והסירו השבט והמחוקק לגמרי]⁠ והיה עונשם מדה כנגד מדה, שהמשיל הקב״ה עליהם את עבדיהם והם הכריתום.

This was also the reason for the punishment of the חשמונאים, who reigned during the Second Temple. They were saints of the Most High, without whom the learning of Torah and the observance of Commandments would have been forgotten in Israel, and despite this, they suffered such great punishment. The four sons of the old Hasmonean Matithyahu, saintly men who ruled one after another, in spite of all their prowess and success, fell by the sword of their enemies. And ultimately the punishment reached the stage where our Rabbis, of blessed memory, said:⁠ “He who says, ‘I come from the house of the Hasmoneans,’ is a slave,” as they were all destroyed on account of this sin.⁠

4 –

We began to delve into the wide topic of the לוחות and how they were placed inside the ארון.
● Dimensions of the לוחות.
● The size of the ארון.
● אמה of 5 or 6 טפחים.
● שברי לוחות.
● Were the לוחות – each לוח-
6 x 6 or 6 x 3?
● Comparing the בבלי to our גמרא ירושלמי. Can they be reconciled?
● חטא העיגול

Great Synagogue in Jerusalem.

The Rebbe’s opinion and insistence on not rounding the top of the לוחות is well known. Did the Rebbe insist on square like the בבלי or is rectangular like the ירושלמי is also fine?

We created a chart on the above topic.

BSD

Shkolim 16a (2) 

Cheshvan 25  – 11/26/2024

Short notes. 

שמן המשחה

  וְאַתָּ֣ה קַח⁠־לְךָ֮ בְּשָׂמִ֣ים רֹאשׁ֒ מׇר⁠־דְּרוֹר֙ חֲמֵ֣שׁ מֵא֔וֹת וְקִנְּמׇן⁠־בֶּ֥שֶׂם מַחֲצִית֖וֹ חֲמִשִּׁ֣ים וּמָאתָ֑יִם וּקְנֵה⁠־בֹ֖שֶׂם חֲמִשִּׁ֥ים וּמָאתָֽיִם׃ וְקִדָּ֕ה חֲמֵ֥שׁ מֵא֖וֹת בְּשֶׁ֣קֶל הַקֹּ֑דֶשׁ וְשֶׁ֥מֶן זַ֖יִת הִֽין׃

And you, take choice spices,⁠ pure myrrh, five hundred,⁠ and cinnamon spice,⁠ half of it, two hundred and fifty, and cane spice, two hundred and fifty. and cassia, five hundred according to the shekel of the sanctuary, and olive oil, a hin.

1 – As mentioned last week, the שמן המשחה was also hidden together with the ארון. 

2- Our גמרא  discusses briefly how the oil became fragrant. The 4 spice mixture mentioned in the תורה was either cooked with the oil and then drained or the oil was first cooked in water (to allow the spices to absorb the water) and then the oil was poured over the cooked spices and then drained. 

[See below from a Covid-era Shiur as to the meaning of מׇר⁠־דְּרוֹר֙, pure myrrh]

Speaking of the oil being absorbed into the spices… is לחלוחית curable?…

3- Story of the fellow who boasted that a prominent Rov wrote to him ‘you are truly unique and had you lived at the time of אלישע the oil would not stop flowing’. 

This fellow took this as a complement thinking that the Rov recognizes his greatness – equaling him to אלישע. 

What the Rov actually meant that ‘had you lived at the time of אלישע the oil would not stop flowing….because there would be another פוסטע כלי…….

4 – Discussed the משיחה when anointing of a king, son of a king, Kohen Godol, son of a Kohen Godol. 

Mentioned the תוספות (Yuma 12b) that the כהנים could remove the כהן גדול from his position. The Rambam disagrees. (כלי המקדש ד, טו). 

5 – The 3 sons of יאשיהו. 

יהואחז 

 יהויקים

צדקיהו

6 – Discussed יהויכין  or יְכָנְיָה (grandson of יאשיהו)  of the famous גלות יכניה when the elites of ירושלים were exiled. 

אֲשֶׁר הָגְלָה מִירוּשָׁלַיִם עִם הַגֹּלָה אֲשֶׁר הָגְלְתָה עִם יְכָנְיָה מֶלֶךְ יְהוּדָה אֲשֶׁר הֶגְלָה נְבוּכַדְנֶאצַּר מֶלֶךְ בָּבֶל.

As the it says: החרש והמסגר were exiled – meaning the תלמידי חכמים who prepared בבל as a מקום תורה for the larger exile that occurred years later when the בית המקדש was destroyed. 

7- Discussed the tragic story of  יהויכין whom the Rambam (תשובה ז,ז) regards as the ultimate symbol of a בעל תשובה. 

גדולה תשובה שמקרבת את האדם לשכינה, שנאמר ״שובה ישראל עד י״י אלהיך״ (הושע י״ד:ב׳), ונאמר ״לא שבתםא עדי נאם י״י״ (עמוס ד׳:ו׳), ונאמר ״אם תשוב ישראל נאם י״י אלי תשוב״ (ירמיהו ד׳:א׳), כלומר אם תחזור בתשובה בי תדבק:

התשובה מקרבת את הרחוקים. אמש היה זה שנוי לפני המקום, משוקץ ומרוחק ותועבה, והיום הוא אהוב ונחמד, קרוב וידיד. וכן אתה מוצא שבלשון שהקב״ה מרחק את החטאיםג, בה מקרב את השבים, בין יחיד בין רבים, שנאמר ״והיה במקום אשר יאמר להם לא עמי אתם יאמר להם בני אל חי״ (הושע ב׳:א׳). ונאמר ביכניה ברשעותו ״כתבוד את האיש הזה ערירי גבר לא יצלח בימיו״ וגמ׳ (ירמיהו כ״ב:ל׳), ״אם יהיה כניהו בן יהויקים מלך יהודה חותם על יד ימיני״ וגמ׳ (ירמיהו כ״ב:כ״ד), וכיון ששב בגלותו נאמר בזרובבל בנו ״ביום ההוא נאם י״י צבאות אקחך זרובבל בן שאלתיאל עבדי נאם י״י ושמתיך כחותם״ (חגי ב׳:כ״ג):

Teshuvah is great for it draws a man close to the Shechinah as [Hoshea 14:2] states: “Return, O Israel, to God, your Lord;” [Amos 4:6] states: “`You have not returned to Me,’ declares God;” and [Jeremiah 4:1] states: “`If, you will return, O Israel,’ declares God, `You will return to Me.'” Implied is that if you will return in Teshuvah, you will cling to Me.

Teshuvah brings near those who were far removed. Previously, this person was hated by God, disgusting, far removed, and abominable. Now, he is beloved and desirable, close, and dear.

Similarly, we find God employs the same expression with which He separates [Himself] from the sinners to draw close those who repent. [Hoshea 2:1] states: “Instead of saying to you: `You are not My nation,’ He will tell you: `You are the children of the living God.’”

[Also, Jeremiah] speaks of יכניה while he was wicked [with the expression (22:30)]: “Write down this man as childless, a man who shall never prosper in his days,” and [22:24]: “Would יכניה , the son of Yehoyakim, king of Judah, be the signet ring on My right hand, I would tear him off.” However, after he repented when in exile, [Chaggai 2:23] said concerning Zerubavel, his son: “‘On that day,’ declares the God of Hosts, `I will take you, Zerubavel, the son of Shaltiel, My servant,’ declares God, `and I will place you as a signet ring.'”

8 – Mentioned a previous Shiur (Ketores Shiur – 25 of Iyar, 5780.  05/29/2020) about the opinions on what מר דרור means.

• Mor was used to make the שמן המשחה and the קטורת. Now what is Mor? 
• Rambam says it was musk oil. 
• The גמרא in Brochos (43a) discusses ‘Musek’ – מּוּשְׁק , a type of pleasantly smelling powder and oil. The Brocho one says over it is בורא מיני בשמים. This Musek or musk comes from either a kosher or a non-kosher animal.

Musk deer

● Ravad- Inconceivable that a product from a non kosher animal was used in the Ketores.
● Ravad- Mor is a plant based spice. As proof he quotes the Pasuk באתי לגני אחותי כלה. It then continues ‘I collected Mor for you’.
● The verb used here to collect, אריתי, is associated with the collection of fruits or vegetables. Not a collection from the blood or gland of an animal.
● Thus Mor means Myrrh.
5- מה הוא מור?

Myrrh or Musk
רמב”ם וראב”ד. כלי המקדש א, ג.

https://hebrewbooks.org/pdfpager.aspx?req=4110&st=&pgnum=345

Thanks to Reb Yisrolik Motchkin for this last reference.

באתי לגני. שה”ש ה.
ארוה כל עוברי דרך. מלא ואורה וסלו.
—————————-

BSD
Shkolim 15b (3) – 16a
Cheshvan 18, 5785 – 11/19/2024

1- Last week we discussed the 3 opinions as to the current whereabouts of the ארון. Our גמרא continues with 2 opinions as to how many ארונות there were.

One or two? 

תַּנֵּי. רִבִּי יְהוּדָה בֶּן לָקִישׁ אָמַר. שְׁנֵי אֲרוֹנוֹת הָיוּ מְהַלְּכִין עִם יִשְׂרָאֵל בַּמִּדְבָּר. אֶחָד שֶׁהָיְתָה הַתּוֹרָה נְתוּנָה בְתוֹכוֹ. וְאֶחָד שֶׁהָיוּ שִׁבְרֵי הַלּוּחוֹת נְתוּנִין בְתוֹכוֹ. זֶה שֶׁהָיְתָה הַתּוֹרָה נְתוּנָה בְתוֹכוֹ הָיָה מוּנַח בְּאֹהֵל מוֹעֵד. הָדָא הִיא דִכְתִיב וַאֲרוֹן בְּרִית י״י וּמֹשֶׁה לֹא מָשׁוּ מִקֶּרֶב הַמַּחֲנֶה. זֶה שֶׁהָיוּ שִׁבְרֵי הַלּוּחוֹת בְתוֹכוֹ הָיָה נִכְנַס וְיוֹצֵא עִמָּהֶן וּפְעָמִים הוּא מַתְרֶה עִמָּהֶן. וְרַבָּנִן אָמְרֵי. אָרוֹן אֶחָד הָיָה וּפַעַם אַחַת יָצָא בִימֵי עֵלִי וְנִשְׁבָּה.

It was stated: “Rebbi Jehudah ben Laqish says, two arks were travelling with Israel in the desert; one in which the Torah was deposited and one in which the broken pieces of the tablets were deposited. The one in which the Torah was deposited was put into the Tent of Meeting; that is what is written: Moses and the Ark of the Eternal’s covenant did not move from the camp. The one in which the broken pieces of the tablets were deposited was going out and coming in with them. But the Rabbis say, it was only one ark, and once it went out in the days of Eli and was taken prisoner.

Hiding the ארון and 4 other items

2- The גמרא continues to discuss King יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ was the one that actually hid the ארון in the subterranean chamber under the בית המקדש. Together with the ארון  , four other items were hidden.

What prompted יֹאשִׁיָּהוּ to hide these holy items was the story of the ספר תורה they found hidden in the בית המקדש and when opened it ‘happened’ to be the פרשה of the תוכחה.

דברים כח (לו) יוֹלֵ֨ךְ יְהֹוָ֜ה אֹתְךָ֗ וְאֶֽת⁠־מַלְכְּךָ֙ אֲשֶׁ֣ר תָּקִ֣ים עָלֶ֔יךָ אֶל⁠־גּ֕וֹי אֲשֶׁ֥ר לֹא⁠־יָדַ֖עְתָּ אַתָּ֣ה וַאֲבֹתֶ֑יךָ וְעָבַ֥דְתָּ שָּׁ֛ם אֱלֹהִ֥ים אֲחֵרִ֖ים עֵ֥ץ וָאָֽבֶן׃

The jar with the מן. the bottle of שמן המשחה, Aaron’s staff with its almonds and flowers, and the chest which the Philistines returned as a reparation

Toy for illustration

ברכה on the מן

3 – Speaking of the מן we diverged to discuss the ברכה made on the מן.

In an early volume of לקוטי שיחות the Rebbe added an interesting footnote. Vol 4, 1035.

Briefly, the רמ״ע of Fano (and here) states that when Moshiach will arrive, אדם הראשון will eat from the jar of the מן that was hidden. ‘And he will make a Brocho המוציא לחם מן השמים!

[We spoke a bit about Reb Menachem Azaria of Fano]

The ספר חסידים has a slightly different version – הנותן לחם מן השמים.

4- We mentioned that others say that no ברכה was made at all.
One reason, as per Reb Aharon Levin הי״ד the Rov of רישא – (Nat Lewin’s grandfather –here): The idea behind a ברכה is that ‘one may not eat/enjoy from עולם הזה unless he asks permission – the Brocho’. ברכות לה  However, the מן was not from עולם הזה at all. It came from עולם הבא!

The Reisha Rav 

ברכת אהרן (לרבי אהרן לעווין הי”ד, אבד”ק רישא. ברכות פ”א מאמר פה’)

Did the מן ‘grow’ from the ground

5- We concluded with the fascinating idea of the ספורנו. The מן, he says, although it came מן השמים, when it landed on the ground it ‘fused with the earth’. It received the ‘final touch’ by absorbing from the earth – not unlike everything else that grows from the ground.
Therefore, the ספורנו concludes, if one would pick up the מן from the ground on שבת he would be חייב for מלאכת תולש.

יצאו מן העם – מן המחנה אל מקום רחוק, חושבים למצוא ממנו שם, כי לא נאמנה את אל רוחם.
ללקט – וזה היה חלול שבת בלי ספק אם היו מלקטים הדבר ממקום גדולו, כאמרם זכרונם לברכה ״האי מאן דתלש כשותא מהזמי והיגי מחייב משום עוקר {דבר מגדולו}״ (שבת ק״ז:).

Based on the ספורנו one can say that the מן was, after it landed on the ground and absorbed the ‘earthliness’ the ברכה would be המוציא לחם מן הארץ.

בספר בני יששכר (מאמרי השבתות מאמר ג’ – ברכת שבת) כתב שאכלו את המן בלא שבירכו בתחילה עליו, וז”ל: והנה דכירנא כשהייתי מסתופף בצל קדשו של כבוד מחותני הרב הקדוש מהרצ”ה מזידיטשוב זצוק”ל, נפל מילתא בפומיה לחקור האיך היה ברכת המן, ואני הייתי משיב שמצאתי כך להרמ”ע דלעתיד יברכו המוציא לחם מן השמים, ונפל ויכוח בדבר בין החברים, נענה אחד מן החברים הלא הוא הרב המקובל מו”ה ישראל דוב זלה”ה, אשר כמדומה לא בירכו ברכה על המן כל עיקר כיון שהוא לחם אבירים נבלע באיברים (כדאיתא ביומא [עה:] דאמרינן שם, שכתוב על המן בספר תהלים [עח’ כה’]: לחם אבירים אכל איש וגו’. לחם שמלאכי השרת אוכלין אותו וכו’, וכי מלאכי השרת אוכלין לחם וכו’? אלא מה הפירוש ‘לחם אבירים’? לחם שנבלע במאתים וארבעים ושמונה אברים, דהיינו ש’אבירים’ מלשון אברים וכך היה נקרא המן שנבלע כולו באברים של הגוף, ע”ש. וכך הוא להדיא בספר ‘בלחם הקלוקל’, – עי’ רש”י במדבר כא’ ה’) שלא היה בו בירור, כי כל עיקר הברכה לברר ניצוצין ולהפרידם מן הפסולת, ובמן לא היה פסולת, ונהניתי מאד כי לדעתי הדברים קרובים אל האמת, ובסוף הדברים כתב: ולפי”ז יש לפרש ג”כ (בדרך אפשר) הגם שלא היו מברכין על המן במדבר בימות החול, אבל בשבת להיות דהאכילה היא בקדש וכו’, הוצרכו לברכה, זה הכונה לפי”ז ויקדש אותו קדשו בברכה, (זהו בדרך אפשר), ע”ש.

More on this topic here.

BSD
Shkolim 15b (2)
Cheshvan 11, 5785. 11/12/2024

A few short notes.
השתחווה בבית המקדש.
השתחויות – 13 או 14.
ביחוד – בבירור- היום יום – יחידות.
מקום גניזת הארון. לקו”ש כא
השביל ב770….

1 – Our משנה states that when entering the בית המקדש through any of the 13 gates one would do a full השתחווה.
We mentioned the גמרא in שבועות טז, ב that explains the difference between קידה, כריעה and השתחואה.

The Sages taught:

The term Kidda indicates falling upon one’s face, and so the verse states: “Then Bathsheba bowed [vatikkod] with her face to the ground” (I Kings 1:31).

Keria means descending upon one’s knees, and so the verse states with regard to Solomon: “He rose from before the altar of the Lord, from kneeling [mikero’a] upon his knees” (I Kings 8:54).

Hishtaḥava’a, this is prostrating oneself while spreading one’s arms and legs in total submission, and so the verse states that Jacob asked, in response to Joseph’s relating of his dream: “Shall I and your mother and your brothers indeed come to bow down [lehishtaḥavot] to you to the ground” (Genesis 37:10), i.e., spread out completely on the ground.

2 – The משנה continues that the family of Rabban Gamliel and of Rebbi חנינה the סגן הכהנים would add a fourteenth time. Not at a gate but right in the עזרה. Where exactly?

In front of the room known as the wood storage – דיר העצים, since they had a tradition from their forefathers that the ארון was hidden under the floor of that chamber.

How did they know? It happened that a Cohen was working in the דיר העצים when he saw that a floor tile was different from the others. [He realized that that is where the ארון was hidden] He went to tell it to a another כהן but did not finish speaking before he passed away; then they knew with certainty the the Ark was hidden there.

שֶׁל בֵּית רַבָּן גַּמְלִיאֵל וְשֶׁל בֵּית רַבִּי חֲנַנְיָה סְגַן הַכֹּהֲנִים הָיוּ מִשְׁתַּחֲוִים בְּאַרְבַּע עֶשְׂרֵה. וְהֵיכָן הָיְתָה יְתֵרָה כְּנֶגֶד דִּיר הָעֵצִים שֶׁכֵּן מָסוֹרֶת בְּיָדָן מֵאֲבוֹתֵיהֶן שֶׁשָּׁם הָאָרוֹן גָּנוּז. מַעֲשֶׂה בְּכֹהֵן אֶחָד שֶׁהָיָה מִתְעַסֵּק וְרָאָה הָרִיצְפָּה שֶׁהִיא מְשׁוּנָּה מֵחֲבֵרוֹתֶיהָ. בָּא וְאָמַר לַחֲיבֵרוֹ. לֹא הִסְפִּיק לִגְמֹר אֶת הַדָּבָר עַד שֶׁיָּצְתָה נִשְׁמָתוֹ, וְיָדְעוּ בְיִיחוּד שֶׁשָּׁם הָאָרוֹן גָּנוּז.

3 – We mentioned that the Hebrew word for ‘certainty/clarity’ (for the location of the ארון) in the משנה is ביחוד  – b’yichud.

In היום יום of י’ אלול, when explaining one of the definitions of יחידות by a Rebbe,  our משנה is mentioned – יחידות means ‘clearly’. To clarify one’s own status

גדולי זקני חסידי רבינו הזקן היו אומרים, אשר “יחידות” פירושו: קלאר, אפגעשטעלט, פאראיינציגט – מקור ג’ פירושים אלו הוא בדברי רבותינו זכרונם לברכה: שקלים פרק ו’ משנה ב’, יבמות ס”ב. א, בראשית רבה פרק כ
זאת אומרת כי ענין היחידות הוא לברר את מצבו, ולקבוע אופן עבודתו בסור מרע ולקרב את המדות הטובות, ולהתקשר בהתאחדות גמורה ולמסור עצמו, איבערגעבען זיך מיט אלע רצונות.

Translation: Great elders of the Alter Rebbe’s chassidim used to say that yechidus (private audience with the Rebbe) means: “clear,” “designated,” “united.” The sources of these three interpretations are in Shekalim 6:2, Yevamot 62a, and Bereishit Raba 20.

This means that the idea of Yechidus is:
1- To clarify one’s own status; 2- To designate a mode of avoda for him in “turning away from evil” and in the acquisition of fine character traits;3- And that he should bind himself in total oneness, and utterly dedicate himself with all his desires.

4 – The גמרא starts with the 3 opinions as to the whereabouts of the ארון at or before the חורבן בית המקדש.
1- It was exiled to בבל – and never returned.
2- It was hidden under the קודש הקדשים.
3- It was hidden under the דיר העצים.

5 – We spoke about the שיחה of the Rebbe in regards to the subterranean tunnels where the ארון was hidden. (#2 or #3 above) based on the phrasing of the Rambam. בית הבחירה 4, 1.
לקוטי שיחות כא, 156

א) אבן היתה בקודש הקדשים במערבו, ועליה היה הארון מונח, לפניוא צנצנת המן ומטה אהרן. ובעת שבנה שלמה את הבית וידע שסופו ליחרב, בנה מקום לגנוז בו הארון למטה במטמוניות עמוקות ועקלקלות, ויאשיהו המלך ציוה וגנזו במקום שבנה שלמה, שנאמר ״ויאמר ללוים המבינים לכל ישראל הקדושים לי״י תנו את ארון הקודש בבית אשר בנה שלמה בן דויד מלך ישראל אין לכם משא בכתף עתה עבדו את י״י אלהיכם״:

The Ark was placed on a stone in the western portion of the קודש הקדשים.⁠ The vial of manna and Aharon’s staff were placed before it.
When Solomon built the Temple, he was aware that it would ultimately be destroyed. [Therefore,]⁠ he constructed a chamber, in which the ark could be entombed below [the Temple building] in deep, maze-like vaults.

King Josiah commanded that [the Ark] be entombed in the chamber built by Solomon, as it is said : “And he said to the Levites who would teach wisdom to all of Israel: ‘Place the Holy Ark in the chamber built by Solomon, the son of David, King of Israel. You will no [longer] carry it on your shoulders. Now, serve the Lord, your God.’

The Rebbe’s point in short – the subterranean chamber, built by שלמה המלך, to hide the ארון was not just a random location/refuge for the ארון. Rather it is the proper location for the ארון for the time of גלות.

In other words – just as when there is a בית המקדש, the proper location for the ארון is in the קודש הקדשים, for the time of גלות, the designated place for the ארון is in the subterranean chambers built originally by שלמה המלך for that particular era.
So in a sense, even at the time of בית שני there was indeed an ארון in the בית המקדש.
For despite it not being seen in the קודש הקדשים, it was in the place it was meant to be – in subterranean chamber.

See the Sicha for the full idea behind this explanation.

6 – Half in jest….. we concluded on note #2 above about the descendants of רבן גמליאל and רַבִּי חֲנַנְיָה סְגַן הַכֹּהֲנִים that would pause at the front of the דיר העצים and do a full extra השתחווה.

What follows is not meant to be a position on the topic. Just an idea.

All the other כהנים and visitors would not perform this extra השתחואה. Why? Because they didn’t have this family tradition that the ארון was hidden in the דיר העצים.

They believed that it was either exiled to בבל or it was under the קודש הקדשים. 

So, imagine hundreds of people walking daily by the דיר העצים and observing that only a few that would ‘block the traffic’ by falling on the floor and performing an extra השתחווה.

It seems that this contrarian מנהג was tolerated by all! No one shouted at them:
‘Move on. Get lost with your beliefs – you are in the minority’.

Should this attitude of tolerance also apply to the ones that believe that the Rebbe walks into 770 daily and thus feel that they need to make a שביל…….?

ומסיימין בטוב….

BSD

Shkolim 15a (2)- 15b
Cheshvan 4, 5785. 11/05/2024

A few short notes.

1- Our גמרא tells an interesting and powerful story which is the basis for a wide and complex topic in הלכה.
Namely – What are the priorities of giving צדקה? What cause comes first?

רִבִּי חָמָא בַּר חֲנִינָה ורִבִּי הוֹשַׁעְיָה הֲווּן מְטַייְלִין בְּאִילֵּין כְּנִישְׁתָּא דְּלוֹד. אָמַר רִבִּי חָמָא בַּר חֲנִינָה לְרִבִּי הוֹשַׁעְיָה. כַּמָּה מָמוֹן שִׁיקְּעוּ אֲבוֹתַיי כָאן. אָמַר לֵיהּ. כַּמָּה נְפָשׁוֹת שִׁיקְּעוּ אֲבוֹתֶיךָ כָאן. לָא הֲווָה אִית בְּנֵי נַשׁ דְּיִלְעוּן בְּאוּרַיְתָא.

Rebbi Ḥama bar Ḥanina and Rebbi Hoshaiah were strolling through the synagogue of Lod. Rebbi Ḥama bar Ḥanina said to Rebbi Hoshaiah: See how much money my forefathers invested in this Shul!

The Great Synagogue in Dohany Street, Budapest, Hungary. 

He answered him: How many souls did your forefathers ‘bury’ here? Why didn’t he support תלמידי חכמים? Was there no one in Lod who wanted to study Torah but lacked the funds?

From the above it is obvious that donating for Torah learning stands above donating to a Shul.

2- We mentioned, if say, a Rov receives a million dollar donation to grant to charities of his city at his discretion.

He has a slew of מוסדות and needy cases in his city that can use this צדקה.

• A – A child that has not been accepted to the תלמוד תורה simply because his family cannot afford the tuition.
• B – The local soup kitchen.
• C – Repair the HVAC in the Shul.
• D – Medical emergency not covered by insurance.

What comes first?

The שלחן ערוך is quite clear on the priorities of the above 4. YOD 249, 16

A and D, then C followed by B.

(Obviously פיקוח נפש it takes priority before all)

As mentioned above, this is a wide topic and we will BL”N continue to discuss it.

3 – We spoke about a fascinating Midrash Pesikta. Chapter 6.

When שלמה המלך finished building the בית המקדש it says that ‘he brought into the בית המקדש all the treasures of his father דוד’.

It seems to point out that no money from דוד המלך’s treasures was used for the construction.

The obvious question is: Why didn’t he use the assets of his father to build the בית המקדש?

Answer:

One opinion praises דוד המלך. It was דוד המלך himself that requested that his money not be used for the בנין בית המקדש. His reasoning was that what he owned was collected as loot when he destroyed the בית עבודה זרה in his battles.

Being that he saw בנבואה that one day the בית המקדש will be destroyed, he feared that the עובדי עבודה זרה (whose houses of worship he demolished) would claim that ‘our gods were awakened generation after they were attacked and took revenge on the house that was built from their temples’. So דוד המלך prayed that שלמה המלך would not use any of his money for the construction of the בית המקדש. Thus, only when the building was completed did  שלמה המלך bring his fathers wealth into the בית המקדש .

Another opinion is that a few years prior to his passing there was a hunger in ארץ ישראל. Now דוד המלך had collected a fund for the purpose of the בית המקדש . What he should have done was to use this fund to feed the people that were starving.
So הקב”ה told him ‘my children are starving to death and you are hoarding money for the בנין בית המקדש? This money should have been spent to feed the hungry. The end will be that your son שלמה will not use any of your money from your fund’.
So שלמה המלך waited until the בית המקדש was completed and only then did he donate his father’s fund to the operation בית המקדש.

ו ותשלם המלאכה פסיקתא

רבתי

מלכים א, ז, נא

ותשלם כל המלאכה ויבא שלמה את קדשי דוד אביו.
ולמה צריך להם?

יש דורשין לשבח יש דורשין לגנאי.
דרוש לשבח דוד ביקש על הדבר אמר לו רבון העולמים צופה אני בנבואתי שסוף בית המקדש עתיד ליחרב וכל מה שהפרשתי [הוא] מבתי עכו״ם שהייתי מחריב שלא יהיו האומות העולם אומרים מה דוד סבור החריב בית אלהינו ועשה בית לאלהים נינערו אלהינו וגבו נקמתם והחריבו בית אלהים לכך נתפלל שלא יצטרך להם שלמה.
ומי שדורש לגנאי שבא הרעב בימי דוד שלש שנים והיה לדוד כמה תסבריות צבורין כסף וזהב מה שהיה מתקן לבניין בית המקדש והיה צריך להוציאו להחיות את הנפשות ולא עשה כן אמר לו האלהים בניי מתים ברעב ואתה צובר ממון לבנות בו בניין? לא היית צריך אלא להחיות בו נפשות! לא עשית כן’ חייך אין שלמה נצרך ליטול הימנו כלום ויבא [שלמה וגו׳ נתן באצרות בית ה׳] שלמה המלאכה ולא היה צריך שלמה ותשלם כל המלאכה.

4 – We mentioned the ספר חסידים תתרלט who, after quoting the story of our גמרא, concludes that the primary צדקה should go toward supporting ‘real learners’.

‘Not the impostors who don’t study properly…all they do is peek into some ספרים to be able to ask questions to show off their supposed  ‘knowledge’ of the entire Shas….’

רבי אבין עבדון ליה תרעא לסדרא רבא נחית רבי מני לגביה אמר חמית מה דעבדת אמר ליה וישכח ישראל עושהו ויבן היכלות מי לא הוו בני אנשא דלעין באוריתא.
הרי מי שיש לו ממון לא יאמר אעשה בית הכנסת ובית המדרש, אלא יתן לצדיקים שיעסקו בתורה. ולא לאותם שגורסים קושיות ותירוצים כדי שיהו העולם סבורים שיודע כל התלמוד ולא עסקו בתלמוד אלא ראו קושיות ותירוצים וגרסום להראות חריפותם. אלא יתן ליראי ה׳ הלומדים לקיים המצות.
ומי שקרוביו צדיקים ועניים ואינו נותן להם ונותן לאחרים שאינם כל כך טובים דומה למי שמשלם למי שאינו חייב באחריותם ואינו משלם למי שחייב באחריותם כי לקרוביו הטובים חייב שנאמר וחי אחיך עמך:

BSD

Shkolim -14b (2) -15a

Tishrei 27, 5784. 10/29/2024

A Gezunten Vinter to All!

1- We concluded the ‘4 or 5 coupons‘ sold in the בית המקדש for people bringing קרבנות.

See final chart below.

2- We discussed that 3 of the coupons had the name of an animal. עֵגֶל זָכָר גְּדִי

However the fourth had the word חוֹטֵא , which was what the מצורע would purchase when he became טהור.

Psoriasis maybe?

The חפץ חיים makes note of this. Becoming a מצורע is a result of לשון הרע. The fact that this person walks around with a negatively worded coupon shows the severity of his wrong doing of speaking לשון הרע.

שמירת הלשון ח”ב ט”ז.

3- The משנה says that if someone would lose his coupon, he would need to wait until evening to see if it was found.

מִי שֶׁאָבַד חוֹתָמוֹ מַמְתִּינִין לוֹ עַד הָעֶרֶב. אִם מָצְאוּ לוֹ כְּדֵי חוֹתָמוֹ נוֹתְנִין לוֹ. וְאִם לָאו לֹא הָיוּ נוֹתְנִין לוֹ.

If somebody lost his coupon/ticket, we let him wait until the evening. If they find extra cash corresponding to his ticket we give it to him; otherwise we do not give it to him.

Mentioned the Chasiddisher explanation on the above.

בקיצור

חתמו  means the Divine seal, the  צלם אלוקים , that each person possess.

A person is tasked to hold on dearly to this חותם and ensure that it is not lost.

What happens if, for whatever reason, he ‘loses his coupon’? If his צלם אלוקים  and him part ways?

Not all is lost CV. He is given until ‘evening’. Meaning that he has the ability to reconnect that very evening during קריאת שמע שעל המיטה.

מַמְתִּינִין לוֹ עַד הָעֶרֶב  and if they find him sincere, נוֹתְנִין לוֹ, he receives back his צלם אלוקים .

If not, he is given more chances – ערב ראש חודש and יום כיפור or even at the final ערב , just prior to his passing, because תשובה is always an option.

3- The next משנה discusses two particular offices in the בית המקדש.

לִשְׁכַּת חֲשָׁאִים וְאַחַת לִשְׁכַּת הַכֵּלִים.

One was a ‘silent office’. It was an office that collected and distributed צדקה silently and discreetly. The donors wished to be kept anonymous and the recipients of the צדקה received money in a discreet way and respectable way.

The גמרא continues with various stories of חכמים that practiced this discreet giving. The donors had no clue who the צדקה is going to and the receivers were unaware where the money came from.

4- Our גמרא is one of the primary sources on the topic of giving charity at night.

רִבִּי חִינְנָא בַּר פַּפָּא הֲוָה מַפְלִיג מִצְוָה בַלַּיְלִיָא. חַד זְמַן פְּגַע בֵּיהּ רַבְּהוֹן דְּרוּחַייָא. אֲמַר לֵיהּ. לֹא כֵן אַלְפָּן רִבִּי. לֹא תַסִּיג גְּבוּל רֵעֲךָ. אֲמַר לֵיהּ. לֹא כֵן כְּתִיב מַתָּן בַּסֵּתֶר יִכְפֶּה אָף. וַהֲוָה מִיסְתָּפֵי מִינֵּיהּ וַעֲרַק מִן קוֹמוֹי.

Rebbi Ḥinena bar Pappos used to distribute his charity in the night. Once the prince of spirits encountered him. He said to him, did not our teacher teach us: Do not displace your neighbour’s boundaries1? He said to him, but is it not written, a gift in secret appeases anger2? He was afraid of him and fled from him.

Bottom line is if one is asked for charity one must give even at night.

See letter of the Rebbe here.  here.

5- We concluded with this interesting story. Giving צדקה using שכל.

אָמַר רִבִּי יוֹנָה. אַשְׁרֵי נוֹתֵן לַדָּל אֵין כָּתוּב כָּאן אֶלָּא אַשְׁרֵי מַשְׂכִּיל אֶל דָּל. זֶה שֶׁהוּא מִסְתַּכֵּל בַּמִּצְוָה הֵיאַךְ לַעֲשׂוֹתָהּ. כֵּיצַד הָיָה רִבִּי יוֹנָה עוֹשֶׂה. כְּשֶׁהָיָה רוֹאֶה בֶן טוֹבִים שֶׁיָּרַד מִנְּכָסָיו הָיָה אוֹמֵר לוֹ. בְּנִי. בִּשְׁבִיל שֶׁשָּׁמַעְתִּי שֶׁנָּפְלָה לָךְ יְרוּשָׁה מִמָּקוֹם אַחֵר. טוֹל וְאַתְּ פּוֹרֵעַ. מִן דַּהֲיָה נְסִיב הֲוָה אֲמַר לֵיהּ. מַתָּנָה.

Rebbi Jonah said, it is not written, “hail to him who gives to the needy,“ but: hail to him who is considerate to the needy; this refers to him who fulfills this commandment intelligently.

How did Reb Jonah do it? When he saw a son of a prominent family who had lost his property, and was embarrassed to take צדקה, he used to say to him: My son, since I heard that an inheritance fell to you from another place, take what I am giving and you will pay back. When he had taken it, he said to him, it is a gift.

We discussed if that is called not telling the truth and if yes, how it is allowed.

Mentioned the בן איש חי that enumerates all the places in ש”ס where it seems that what was spoken by the חכמים was not אמת. But the אמת is…all they spoke was אמת!

יוסף חיים מבגדאד – הבן איש חי

שו“ת תורה לשמה אות שסד.

בעלי חיים – Sheet1